Machine fob assembling marking tags in sttpebimfosed belation



-Apfil 6 1926. v 1,580,054

F. W. L AENCHER MACHINE FOR ASSEMBLING MARKING TAGS IN SPERIMPOSEDRELATION Filed Jan. l8. 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 (D OJ L0 L0 L0 lnvenTor.FredercK W. Laencher bym April 6,1926. Y f 1,580,054.'

F. W.,L.ANCHER MACHINE roR ASSEMBLING MARKING TAGS 1N sUPERrMPosEDRELATION Filed Jam.v 1,8;l 1925 3 shee'ossheret.l 5

l *Figa lnvenTor.

Patented Apr, 6, 192.6.

FREDERICK W. LAENCIIER, oEBRooIzLYN, NEW Yon COMPANY, oE-VNEW YORK, N.Y.,

y K, AssIGNoR To A. KIMBALI. AjcoRroEATIoN-CENEW YORK;

MACHINE Fon AssEMBLINGMAnKINo TAGS IN sUIEIiIMIosED RELATION.

` j Application mea'ianaary 18,1923. serial No. 613,503.

T 0 all 'whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, FREDERICKVV. LAEN-v cI-Inn, a citizenofthe-'UnitedStates, and resident of Brooklyn, county of Kings, State of New York,have invented Aan Improvement in Machines for Assembling Marking rIagsin vSuperimposed Relation, ofswhich the following description, inconnection with the accompanying drawing, is tion, like characters onthe drawingrepresenting like parts. j f

This' invent-ion1 relates to* improvements in machines for assemblingmarking tickets 1n superimposed relation andv the obJeet thereof is toprovide means for piling the tags, one uponl the other, 'with the edgeof each superimposed tag `lying beyond the ed ge of the tag next beneathit. .f

vUsual marking tags, such as, pin tickets, string tags, etc., consist ofa card or ticket having attaching means extending from the under face ofthe card. In the usual manufacture of such -marking tags acontinuousstrip of ticket mate-rial is passed through a machine which secures theattaching device to the strip at intervals so thatwhen the strip is cutmidway between the attaching devicesthe completed marking tagsareformed. It is usual also to provide an extension of the table or guidefor the stripbeyond the mechanism which appliesthe attaching device andto print suitable designations upon the tags before they are cut fromthe strip.

In usual machines the tags-which are `thus l cut from the strip dropinto ya receptacle from which they are removed, counted and placed insuitable packages In usual machines of this character. a cutter isemployed at the'end of the guide for the strip which comprises anupwardly reciprocating blade which is operated intermittently insynchronism with the strip feeding mechanism .to sever the tags and dropthein'into the receptacle. In the operation of such machines r theresilience of the ticket material causes the tags to flip over so thatthey drop miscellaneously into the receptacle.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a novel formof cutting mechanism which will sever, the `tags successively from thestrip and permit them a specicato drop in substantially horizontalposition so that each tag will be superimposed upon the one next beneathitn A further object ofthey invention is to provide means for depositingAtags having attaching devices extending from one face thereof in suchav manner that the attaching devicel of .each vsuperimposed tag-overlies and'preferably engages the edge of .thenext tag beneath it sothat the tags may be compactlyfassembled and packaged in a relativelysmall container.

A further object of provide a machine of the character. described withVa chute to receive the tags as theyare cut from the strip and providedWith means, such as, a pusher which operates to shove each tag' alongthe chute a:

short distance so that the next tag-cut 'off will fall upon it with theattaching device projecting proceeds the tags lying. on top of eachother will be feathered out as they ride down the chute and enable theoperator to count ,0H i a predetermined number of tickets, lift themfrom the bottom of the chute and deposit 'them in a suitable packing boXin a closely arranged superimposedl Other objects and features of theinven-, fully appear lfrom vthe folposition.

tion will more lowing description andthe accompanying drawingsv will beparticularly pointed outv in the claims.

The drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment 'of vhe invention asapplied to the usual formof tag making machine.-v

Inthe drawings: v. Fig. 1 is afront elevation of the invention as viewedfrom the delivery end of the tag making machine to which it is'applied;Fig. 2 a lplan view of the same Vshowing a portion lof the frame andthetable or, guide Vof kthe tagl `'making machine `with, the presentinvention applied thereto; and,

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view on line 3-3 Fig. l,viewed, from the right towardV the left. Y Only such mechanism isillustratedin vthe accompanying drawings as is necessary to show themeans for severing the tags from a -behind' it so that as the operationVthe-invention is to continuous strip and depositing the same insuperimposed relation, this mechanism being adapted to be associatedwith a usual form of tag making machine such, for example, as isillustrated in Patent No. V41.57 ,7 82 granted to A. Kimball, August 18,1891, for machines for making pin tickets. In this machine a continuousstrip of'ticket or tag material is fed intermittently to mechanism whichinserts an attach-ing device, specically a staple, through the ticketadjacent one edge and bends the looped portion of the staple around andbeneath the edge of the ticket. Further intermittent feeding of the pinticket strip passes the stripbe-tween a pair of critters which severtickets or tags of uniform width from the strip and drop the same intothe receptacle. Machines of this type are also provided with printingmechanisms as above described.

The mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawingsV is designed tobe secured to the end of the table or guide for the marking tag strip inplace of the cutting mechanism previously employed.

As illustrated herein the cutting and severing mechanism is mounted uponthe bed 1 of the pin ticket making machine which has the usual legs 2and 3 extending downwardly and preferably integral with the bed. Theedges of the bed are provided with inwardly extending dove-tail groovesl4c' and 5 which receive complementary dovetail guides 6- and 7 extendingdownwardly and? preferably integral with carriage 8 which supports thecutting and assembling mechanism. A suitable gib 9 may be introd-ucedbetween the dove-tail members 5 andv 7 to assist in assembling themachine.

The carriage 8l comprises vertical webs 10 and an integral table 12.provided with a longitudinal groove 13 to receive the shanks of thepinsror staples 14 which extend. downwardly from the pin tickets or tags15 which, as they approach the cutting mechanism, are in thel form: of astrip. By means of the dove-tail connection between the carriage for Cilthe cutting and assembling mechanism and the bed of the machine thecutting mechanism may be adjusted longitudinally with relation to thebed of the machine in such a manner as to perm-it the cutting mechanismto beset to accordl with the print and feed motion for cutting ticketsof different sizes, suitable means (not shown)l being provided forsecuring the carriage in the proper adjusted position. When the carriageis assembled upon the pin ticket machine the table 12 forms acontinuation of the table of the pin ticket machine so that the ticketsare fed directly from the stapling and printing mechanism to the cuttingmechanism.

The carriage 8 is provided at its end with a vertical standardcomprising uprights 16 and 17 connected at their upper ends by atransverse, preferably integral member 18 and also connected at a shortdistance above the table by a transverse bridge member 19. The face ofthis standard is flush with the end of the carriage and desirably isplaned to provide a guiding base for the reciprocating cutter mechanism.Guides 20, having respectively inclined or beveled guiding faces 21, aresecured to the face of the standard adjacent its ends by suitable.screws or bolts 22.

rIhe critter fra-me comprises a pair of vertical guiding members 23having inclined or beveled faces 24 engaging the faces 21 of the guides23, a horizontal central connecting member or web 25and= a bottomconnecting base member 26, all of which may be formed as an integralconstruction. The lower cutting blade 27 is Secured to the base memberof the cutting frame by suitable screws 28'. The co-operating uppercutting blade 29 is connected by suitable screws 30v to a transverseplate 31 which in turn is connected to the guides 20 by screws 32.

The edge of the upper knifeY 29 is located in a plane sufficientlyabovethe plane of the table 12 to'enable the strip o-f tag material tobe fed beneath it and astripper is provided which engages the upper faceof the advancing tag strip and guides it beneath the edge of the upperstationary critter blade and also acts as a yieldable stripper to striptags from the upper knife after the cut-ting operation. This strippercomprises a plate 33 which preferably extends over the end portion ofthe table 12 and is preferably provided with a thickened and downwardlybeveled portion adjacent the stationary blade 29 and also is providedwith aplu.- rality of guide rods or stems 311 which extend upwardlythrough suitable apertures or ways; in the plate 31 and are provided attheir upper ends with nuts 35 which are eugaged by helical springs 36located within tubular members 37 which are suitably secured at theirlower ends by tubular nuts 38 to the upper edge of the plate 31. Thesprings 36 act normallyy to force the stripper downwardly to a positiona short distance above the plane of the advancing strip of tag material,the thickened end portion extending to the plane of the edge of theupper cutter so as to direct the tag material beneath said upper cutter.

Any suitable means may bev provided for reciprocating the cutting frame.As illustrated in Fig. 1 the lower transverse member 26 of the cuttingframe is provided with a downwardly extending arm 39 provided with aboss 40 to which the bifurcated upper end 41 of an actuating link or arm42 is connected by a suitable pivotal bolt 413, the arm or link /12being actuated in synchronism with the feeding mechanism of the printingmachine by a suitable mechanism lli) not shown, Y di'sclosedgi'n thepatent to Kimball above In lusual tag makin machines'the tickets aresevered by a reciprocating cutter .hav-

ing a lowerv movable blade 1 and when the strip is severed by the upwardmovement of such a cutter the materialV is sufficiently distorted orflexed to flip itheticket over so that successive tickets drop into areceptacle bev neath the cutter ina miscellane ,ousorder.Vv

the strip, a series of marking tags having Y attaching'v devicespro]ecting from theA face or end of the tag. Obviously such tags cannotbe superimposed directly upon each other and the present inventioncontemplates the provision of mechanism which will advance the 'markingtags as they are successively cutfrom thestripin such 'a manner ythatthe attaching ymembers of each lsuperirnposed tag will extend beyond theend of the tag next beneath it.

A further object of thefinvention is to provide" a suitablechute' tovreceive the marking tags thus severed from the strip and superimposedyso that the jtags maybe delivered'from'thechute in a continuous su#Vpei-imposed overlapping relation whichv will enable the [operatornumber*A oftagsfrom the'chute while still in superimposed'` relationfanddeposit the same in suitable-o packages, lthereby enabling alargernumberl of'ftagsv to be packaged in a box than is usual, withoutVthe. necessity of rearranging thetags, f and also enabling the packageto be so formed as to permit the tags to be readily taken out one by oneas they are to' be'applied without the pins being touched bythe fingersof the operator.

' vrIn the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated-herein themeans for supportingthe tags, as they are delivered from the cutttingmechanism, comprises a chute preferably formed in two parallel sectionswhich are lsuitably inclined and curved toV enable the superimposed tagsto be readily forced down the chute by, the assembling mechanism. f y ,y

As illustrated in theaccompanying drawings the chute comprises a pair ofrelatively adjustableguiding members or rails 44 and butwhi'ch Lmaybesimilar'to-that'M lower reciprocating cutter flipped over or other-`object'ofthe invention is to to remove a suitabley 45 lwhich aresupported upon suitable brackets secured to `the, carriage fof thecuttingmechanism. In the preferred construction an L-shaped bracket46 issecurediby aY f'bolt 47 to the Y a standard lfa'nd a `second bracket 48is secured to the arm 49wofth'e' bracket 46 by -a bolt ,50, -The bracket48 is rovided with a recess which receives the curved upper end` ofthemember 44. of the; The bracket 48 is also'provided with chute. y p anextension 5.1 having a' slot 52 along; which vthe other chute 'member 45may be heldin adjustedposition by a bolt 53. To support I the otherl endportion' of the chute 4an L? shaped bracket 54' is securedto theverticaly standard 17 of the carriage by a bolt 55 and to the arm 56 ofsaid bracketfa vertical me'm-V 'l ber 57 of anotherfbracket is securedhavingHVV a horizontal slotted arm 58l provided withy a guide-way 59 inwhich a carriage 60, .con-v nected to the member 45of the chute isconnected, vandwhich may be adjustably posi-v tioned in said guide-wayby a suitable bolt 6].. The chute sections 44 and 45 are eachvr providedwith upwardly extending flanges to engage the edges ofthe marking tags.

By reason of this adjustable construction the section 45 ofthe chute maybe positioned: properly with relation tothe section 44 to v guide tagsof different widths.v l Y It will be noted that the section 44 of thechute lies' directly beneath the stationary;

sa: f

cutter blade 29 and that the flange of'said chute is omitted from theportion off-the chute which extends beneath thecutter. y In theoperation of the machine'the succe'ssive markingtags cut from the stripdrop directly upon the chute; and as they pile up slide gradually downthe chute in'superf imposed overlapping! relation.

Where marking tags are provided with',

attaching devices, such as', pins or staples, it is ldesirable vthat thetags shallbel suc-.1 cessively vadvanced positively along the chute sothat the end of each superimposed tag,y which carries the attachingdevice, shall overlie the tag nexty beneath it. yr This Yis accomplishedby providing a pusher which engages the dropping tag and moves. it-.

lengthwise-relatively to the chute as it falls from the cutter upon apreviously dropped tag y .l ,y

' In the preferred construction illustrated herein a rotary pusher isprovided comprising a series of preferably curved arms 62 which 'extendfrom a hubl 63 which is rotatably jecting from the member 44 of thechute. The hub 63 is also provided'with 65 which is operatedintermittently vby a suitable pawl and is restrained from back# wardmovement by suitabledetent. v In the preferred constructionV'llu'strated an actuating--pawl 66 is pivotallyrnounted upon a stud 67upon a plate orflever .68

a ratchetv mounted upon aV stud rf64prowhich is pivotally mounted uponthe stud 64, the pawl being forced into engagement with the ratchetteeth of the hub by a spring 69. The plate or lever 68 is provided witha laterally extending stud 70 which is pivotally connected by a link 71to an arm 72 which is pivotally mounted on a stud 73 extending from aplate 74; which is connected to the recij'irocating cutter frame 26. Thelink 71 is adjustably connected to the arm 72 in order that the pusherarms 62 may be positioned with respect to. the reciprocation of thecutter in such a manner as properly to engage and Aadvance the tags.

In the present construction the rod 71 is shown as screw threaded and isadj ustably secured to the arm by nuts 76 and 77 engaging opposite sidesof the arm 72.

Retrograde movement of the rotatable pusher is prevented by a detentpawl 7 8 which is pivotally mounted upon a stud 79 upon a bracket 8Ofixedly secured upon the stud 64, the detent being held in engagementwith the ratchet by helical springs 8l as shown more clearly in Fig.

In the operation of the device the marking tag strip with the staples orother attaching devices secured thereto are advanced intermittently bythe feeding mechanism of the printing machine to the cutters, each tagbeing projected beyond the edge of the stationary cutter 29. The lowermovable cutter is then reciprocated upwardly, first engaging the tag,and then raising the edge of the same, together with the stripper,sufficiently to sever the tag by co-operation with the stationarycutter. After the tag is severed it is engaged by one of the rotatingpusher arms 62 and forced lengthwise of the chute so that after one taghas vbeen `dropped into the chute the' nextl tag is deposited upon itwith the attaching device lying back of and preferably engaging the edgeof the tag next beneath. As the tags are thus successively deposited theaction of the pusher gradually forces the same down the chute with thetags stacked in superimposed relation as illustrated in Fig. l. As thetags progress down the chute they are removed in suitable numbers by theoperator and transferred to a packing carton.

By reason of the adjustability of the carriage for the cutter andassembling mechanism, and also by reason of the adjustability of thewidth of the chute, the device can be arranged properly to cut andsemble tags of different widths.

It will be obvious that the invention may be employed for the purpose ofassembling tags having other kinds of attaching devices, such as,strings, or having attaching pins projecting in -other angular relationsto the faces of the tags than those herein illustrated. l

It will also be understood that various modifications in form,construction and arrangement of parts may be made within the l claim asnew, and desire to secure by Letters Pate-nt, is:

l. A machine for cutting from-a strip and assembling a series of markingtags provided with attaching means projecting from one face of the tagcomprisingmeans for feeding the tag strip, lmeans for severing the `tagssuccessively therefrom supporting means to receive the tag and meansoperable in synchronism with the cutting means for so depositing thetags thereupon as to insure continuous superimposed relation of the tagswith the attaching devices of each tag lying back of the edge of the tagnext beneath it. 2. A machine for cutting' from a strip and assembling aseries of marking tags provided with attaching means projecting from oneface of the tagcomprising means for feeding the strip, means forsevering the tags successively therefrom, supporting means to receivethe-tags, means for causing relative movement between the tag beingdelivered and the tag-receiving means .operable progressively tosuperimpose the tags, with the attaching devices of each superimposedtag lying back of the edge ofthe tag next beneath it. v

3. A macnine for cutting from a strip and assembling a seriesof markingtags provided with attaching means projecting from one face ef the tagcomprising means for feeding the tag strip, means forsevering the tagssuccessively therefrom, a supporting chute to receive the tags, meansoperable to prevent tiexure of the tag strip during the severance of thetags, means operable to deliverl the severed tags successively to saidchute in superimposed relation and to advance the successive tags tocause the attaching device of each superimposed tag to lie back of theedge of the tag next beneath it,

4t. A machine for cutting' from a strip and assembling' a series ofmarking tags provided with attaching means proj ect-ing from one face ofthe tag comprising means for feed-ing the tag strip, means for severingthe tags successively therefrom, a .supporting chute to receive thetags, means operable to deliver the severed tags successively to saidchute in superin'iposed relation and to advance the successive tags tocause the attaching device of each superin'iposed tag to engage the edgeof the tag next beneath it and acting also progressively to advance theassembled tags along the chute. l

5. A machine for cutting from a strip and assenibling a series ofmarking tags provided with attaching means projecting from one face ofthe tag comprising means for feeding the tag strip, means for severingthe tags lOO successively therefroima supporting .chuteV to receive thetags, means for adjusting the v Width of the chute to accommodate tagsof different Width, means operable to, deliver the severed tagssuccessively to the chute iii` superimposed relation and to advance thesuccessive tags to cause the attaching devices of each superimposed tagto lie beyond thev edge of the tag next beneath it.

6; A machine for cutting from astiip and assembling a series ofV markingtags'provided with attaching means projecting from one face of thetagcomprising means for feeding the tag strip, means for severing the-tagssuccessively therefrom, a supporting chute to receive the severed tagsand an intermittently actuating pusher operable to engage an edge Vofthe dropping tag and move the same in a direction lengthwise of ysaidchute and thereby cause t-lie vattaching device of each superimposed tagto engage the edge of tlie tag next beneath it. A

7 A machine for cutting from a strip and assembling a series of markingtagsl provided with attaching means projecting from vone vface ofthertag comprising means for feeding the tag strip, means for severingthe tags successively therefrom, a chute to receive the severedtags,means for preventing flexure ofY the tag strip during the severance ofthe tags whereby thevtags Will di-op successively vices, from a stripand assembling 'said tags: comprising a guide means located at the endof. said guide for cutting vthe tags from said strip,

in superimposed relation, for the strip,

a chuteto receive the severed tags and means for so depositing the toinsure superimposed relation of the tags Y n guide Y imposed'relation,

arms to engage the' dropping tags, pawl and j ratchet mechanismAoperable by the recipro- ,y cation of said cutter to. rotate saidpusher with the attaching means of each tag lyingl back of the -edge ofthe tag next beneath it., 9. A machine for 1 successively cuttingmarking tags, provided with attaching devices, from a strip andassembling Vsaid tags in superimposed relation comprising a for thestrip, a cutter locatedat the end of said guide, a chute to receive thedropping severed tagsin continuous supera rotatable pusher having lthepath of the istrip,

cally reciprocating lower cutter Vand a yieldhaving a face normallyposi- 1 of the stationary cutter, tagsin said chute as' c 13. A machineprising a intermittently and thereby to force the at taching member ofeach superimposed tag yagainst the edge of the tagl next beneath it andalso progressivelytoadvance the superimposed tags along they chute.

10. A machine for successively cutting marking tags, provided withattaching devices, from a strip and assembling said tags f insuperimposedrelation,comprising a guide for the strip, a reciprocatingcutter locatedv at the end of said guide, a chute formed oflongitudinally exteinding flanged sections spaced apart to provide a Wayfor said atf taching devices, means for adjusting one 'of said sectionsrelatively to the other to accommodate tags of different Widths andVmeans for progressively moving the tags chute to cause the 'atolongitudinally of the taching device of each tag to lie beyond the edgeofthe tagfnext beneath it.

11. A marking tags,provided with attaching de,- vices, fromfa strip andassembling said tags machine for successively cuttingl in su erim osedrelation com risin a Guide v for the strip, a-cutter located at the endof said guide,` a` chute to receive Ithe dropping severed tags incontinuous,superimposed relation, a rotatable pusher having backwardlycurved arms to engage the droppingtags, paivl and ratchet mechanismoperable the reciprocation f of said cutter to rotate said pusherintermittently and thereby to force the attaching member ofy eachsuperimposed tag against the edge of the tag next beneath it and alsoprogressively to advance the superimposed tags along the chute.

- 12. A machine for cutting marking tags from a stripl and assemblingsaid tags, comprising a guide for the strip, av stationary cutterlocatedat the end ofsaid guide above a cooperatingverti able strippertio'ned substantially in the planeof the edge but movable byl saidreciprocating cutter during the operation.

for cutting marking tags from a, strip and assembling said tags coinastationary vcutter located abovefthe path of the strip, rocating lowercutter located intermediate of the stationary cuttervand the support forthe strip and means to receive the tags dropping from said cutters incontinuous superimposed relation.`

support and guide for the strip, v

ics

a co-operating vertically -recip- In testimony whereof, I have signed`my name to this specification.

FREDERICK W. LAENcHEn

